New York State's Area for Consideration

The Area for Consideration is comprised of two areas south of Long Island. The East Area is located between the Ambrose-to-Nantucket Safety Fairway to the north and Hudson Shelf Valley to the south, measures 389,280 acres, and is 26.5 statute miles from land at its closest point. The West Area is located between the Hudson Shelf Valley to the northeast and the Barnegat-to-Ambrose Traffic Lane to the west, measures 672,522 acres, and is 21.1 statute miles from land at its closest point. Together, these two areas measure 1,061,802 acres.

On October 2, 2017, New York State recommended an identified Area for Consideration to the federal government’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM). This came after rigorous fieldwork, analysis, and stakeholder outreach regarding appropriate locations for wind installations off New York State’s Atlantic Coast— an area also known as the New York Bight.

The Area for Consideration was refined through a comprehensive process based on available data and guided by stakeholder feedback, aiming to maximize benefits and minimize conflicts to ocean users, and was developed following interagency deliberation within New York State. The State submitted extensive information supporting this submission, which the State views as best suited for future offshore wind development.

New York State requested that within the Area for Consideration, BOEM identify and lease at least four new wind energy areas, each capable of supporting at least 800 megawatts. With federal jurisdiction over mineral exploration and development of the outer continental shelf, BOEM determines the final locations of wind energy areas in the New York Bight.

Offshore Wind

NYSERDA is leading the coordination of offshore wind opportunities in New York State and is supporting the development of 9,000 megawatts of offshore wind energy by 2035 in a responsible and cost-effective manner. Offshore wind will be a crucial step on the pathway to a carbon-neutral economy as Governor Andrew M. Cuomo proposed in his Green New Deal, a nation-leading clean energy and jobs agenda. Offshore wind will support the Governor’s call for 70 percent of New York’s electricity to come from renewable sources by 2030.